Rover KV6 - Noisy alternator belt

Rover KV6 - Noisy alternator belt

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NISaxoVTR

Original Poster:

268 posts

168 months

Monday 13th October 2014
quotequote all
I have a probably benign but irritating problem with my car where for the first 10 minutes as the engine is warming up there is a rhythmic squeak from the alternator belt, every half second or so at idle. It keeps in time with engine revs, even if you blip the throttle sharply. As the car warms the noise fades away. I changed the belt which made no difference and all of the pulley wheels seemed smooth enough when I spun them by hand.

I've since found out I can 'fix' the squeak by spraying some 'belt dressing' which the can claims increases traction onto the back of the belt. Spraying it on the front has no effect. This is a short term solution though as the squeak returns the next day. The back only runs on the automatic tensioner and one other idler pulley. I'm thinking the squeak must be from the back skidding on one of the pulleys or the tensioner is not putting enough tension on the belt anymore? (80k miles). I never seen any flickering from the battery light though.

Has anybody came across a similar problem?


andyiley

9,105 posts

151 months

Monday 13th October 2014
quotequote all
I have always found the best way to identify such noises is with a garden pest type hand sprayer or similar & as accurately as possible squirt possible offenders such as pulleys & bearings.

The more accurate you can do it, the better the diagnosis, when it shuts up for a few seconds you have found the culprit.